Dear Cypress Ghana Blog Readers,
Irrespective of the role and position you hold, you will have to deal with or interact with people in your office and most likely out of your office too.
Irrespective of the role and position you hold, you will have to deal with or interact with people in your office and most likely out of your office too.
Are there people you work with whom you find it difficult to get along with? Do you know how your colleagues and external ‘customers’ feel about how you relate with them?
Daniel Goleman, author or Emotional Intelligence reminds us that The rules for work are changing. We’re being judged by a new yardstick: not just by how smart we are, or by our training and expertise, but also by how well we handle ourselves and each other.
Daniel Goleman, author or Emotional Intelligence reminds us that The rules for work are changing. We’re being judged by a new yardstick: not just by how smart we are, or by our training and expertise, but also by how well we handle ourselves and each other.
This yardstick is increasingly applied in choosing who will be hired and who will not, who will be let go and who retained, who passed over and who promoted.
Irrespective of your technical skills and expertise, you will need to have good people skills also known as ‘soft skills’. Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.
These range from your communication skills to interpersonal skills. If you can keep your emotions in check, you are open, approachable and courteous in your dealings with everyone, you will do better in your role as this becomes an enhancement to your qualifications or hard skills.
Ways to improve these soft skills include:
Irrespective of your technical skills and expertise, you will need to have good people skills also known as ‘soft skills’. Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.
These range from your communication skills to interpersonal skills. If you can keep your emotions in check, you are open, approachable and courteous in your dealings with everyone, you will do better in your role as this becomes an enhancement to your qualifications or hard skills.
Ways to improve these soft skills include:
• greeting your colleagues and responding when greeted
• speaking to them in a respectable manner – no shouting, abusive or rude words or inappropriate outbursts
• Being polite and well-mannered in attitude and behaviour - use please and thank you when making requests
• Be open-minded and listen to others; let your collueagues feel able ask questions and make contributions.
• Listening actively – be attentive when they are speaking to you
• Using your initiative and being a team player
The display of healthy soft skills will create a less stressful office environment which will increase productivity and efficiency. It is about being nice to yourself and other people no matter who you are – valuing and esteeming the people you work with. Remember this and your interactions will display good soft skills.
There is something my mother told me which I have never forgotten. It makes a difference in the way I treat people. “It’s nice to be important but often more important to be nice”. Remember this, practice it and your emotional intelligence will go up a few levels.
Treat your desk area with due care and discipline – it will help you to perform better at work and give a professional impression!!!
By Jennifer Agyeman
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